


Just One Towel

by hufflepirate



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, critmas treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-09-29 09:17:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17200793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hufflepirate/pseuds/hufflepirate
Summary: When they all come up out of the water for the millionth time, Nott finds herself being prioritized.





	Just One Towel

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nsmorig](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nsmorig/gifts).



As they climbed back onto the ship, dripping wet, for what felt like the millionth time, everyone else looked as much like damp, disgruntled cats as Nott felt. They'd been in and out and in and out of water and it was _never_ as easy as Fjord said it would be, and there were _always_ things in the water that were out to get them, and for a brief, brief moment as they all huddled at the edge of the deck, not quite ready to let each other out of their sights, she felt a wave of vindication wash over her. The others finally seemed to be realizing she was right, and maybe, maybe, if she was lucky, this would be the last time they had to do this.

"Fuck," Beau said.

"I'll start some tea," Caduceus answered.

"Yeah," Fjord said, slowly, and Nott wasn't sure which one he was saying yes to.

Caleb wrapped an arm around her, not leaning as hard as she might have expected, given that he was, as usual, injured. It was a hug, then. She smiled softly, leaning back into his side with her eyes closed and just breathing for a moment.

On the way to the kitchen, Caduceus shook himself a little, sending droplets of water flying out of his hair.

Caleb hunched a little bit farther over her, even though the spray was well away from them. Then he broke away, patting her on the shoulder. "I will be right back, ja? Save some tea for me when Caduceus brings it."

Jester stepped up in Caleb's absence, draping her weasel around Nott's neck. "I think Sprinkle is glad _you're_ back, too!"

There was something in her eyes that was a little... something. Nott faked a smile, picking the weasel up in her hands and petting it. "I'm sure Sprinkle's glad we're _all_ back!"

Beau coughed and Fjord grunted in the back of his throat, and they all stood awkwardly, still close together, still in the empty, directionless, passive confusion that always came right after a fight when they didn't have bodies to loot as a distraction.

Fjord shook his head suddenly, spattering them all with water, and Nott yelped in spite of herself, hands tightening on the weasel so that it wriggled in her grip. Beau slugged him in the shoulder.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.

When the hatch opened from below, they all turned to look, expecting Caduceus. Instead, Caleb climbed out, blushing faintly at the attention, with something clutched in his hand, pulled up tight against his chest.

"Herr Clay is not far behind me," he announced, looking sheepish.

Sure enough, Caduceus came up with his kettle and a tray of cups only a moment later, just as Caleb was getting close enough for Nott to make out what he was holding - a single, folded towel.

As the others started moving toward Caduceus, Caleb came directly up to her, holding out the towel only as he reached her. "Here, I - oh, actually your hair is, eh, dripping so - maybe that should, eh, go first, I . . ." He held the towel up higher. "May I?"

He looked a little closed off, lost in himself, but it wasn't in a bad way this time, not with the blush and the little furtive glances at her face. He was alright. He was just awkward. And that was alright, too. She smiled, wrapping her arms around his stomach in a hug before she answered.

"That sounds nice, Caleb! Thank you!"

He looked away again, "Ist nichts."

As Caleb moved behind her, Nott realized that even with the others clustered around him, Clay was still heading their direction, with a familiar bemused look on his face that Nott both liked and distrusted.

Caleb's hands were gentle, toweling her hair dry, and she hummed softly until the others caught up.

As Nott handed Sprinkle back to Jester and took a warm cup of tea from Caduceus, Caleb finished her hair and wrapped the towel comfortably around her shoulders.

"Just the one towel, huh?" Fjord asked.

"Ja," Caleb said, cutting the word off a little too short, even for him.

"I get it next!" Beau said.

"You can get your own," Caleb answered, but as Nott turned to look, he didn't seem as tense as she'd expected. It was almost a joke. She resisted the urge to hug him again when he was already blushing a little.

"Do we have other towels?" Jester asked.

"I do not know," Caleb answered, stiffly, "I did not check."

Beau snorted and looked fond and said nothing.

"I'm sure we can find more towels if we look for them," Caduceus said, as content and pleasant as ever. "There's nothing wrong with prioritizing."

"Yeah, well," Fjord said, "You're right about that."

Caleb's blush darkened.

Jester flounced over and pulled the towel tighter around Nott's shoulders. "Anyway, I hope you found the _best_ one for Nott."

Nott had no idea what to say to that, and no idea what to do with all the sudden attention, and in the rush of _too much too much_ , her brain spat out a single thought. They really _had_ figured out she was right!

Puffing out her chest, she put her cup down long enough to pick the now damp towel up off her shoulders and fling it over Jester's head, rubbing at the tiefling's hair until she giggled.

"Oh, no you don't!" she said, "You'll all catch cold if you stand here wet for long enough, and I'm not about to be the only one taking care of you if you do!"

They all laughed, and then the attention gradually moved back off her, and she could slide up against Caleb's side for a little extra cuddle as Jester handed the now _very_ damp towel over to him and he dried his hair, and everything felt ok again.

**Author's Note:**

> I forgot Yasha, but I hope you like this anyway! I couldn't resist Nott getting a little extra love from her awkward emotional disaster friends.


End file.
